Thursday, May 23/2013

Lots of water - this was at 3 mile corner - the start
of today's trip into the forest.

Today we are headed out to the trails for our first ride.  I will be riding my own quad and John will be on his.  It should be fun but first I must head down to Gale's and help her put her garden in.  The sun is shining this morning and it should be a good day to  garden.  I must remember to put on the mosquito spray as I know that those pesky little creatures will be out in full force.
I gathered the seeds and Hogan and I headed to Gale's.  I forgot to check the power steering fluid in the truck and once driving, realized that I probably had NONE in the truck as it was steering like the old manual steering used to be.  It was a good thing that I only had a few blocks to go!!  John has ordered a new steering box through the garage here in town so that will be nice to not have to worry about that  when one jumps into the truck to go somewhere!!
I arrived at Gales and we quickly got the seed potatoes cut and ready for the ground. She planted purple potatoes and I had red so together we had enough for about 10 rows.  Woo Hoo!!
Out came the seeds and we got busy.  Two hours later the garden was planted and looked awesome.  Gale has a huge garden and I decided to plant all my potatoes over there.  That would free up a lot of room in my garden here at the yard for other things.
With Gale's garden done, I returned to the bus to get ready for our quad ride.
Before too long we were loaded up, fueled up and ready to go.  We headed out to Mile 3 Trail and entered the forest.  Wow, I could not believe the amount of water on this trail.  We did our best to stay along the edge and managed to get through it without any difficulty.  It is a good thing that we were carrying mosquito spray as the vicious little creatures were everywhere!!  It is a good thing that we brought back a few cans of the "40" deet stuff from the States.  I think we are definitely going to need it this year.

Last year the kids were stuck in this "pond" for over an hour.
Today, I don't think I would even try!!

John and his new ride - first beverage break.

Marie and her ride

At the Leoville warm up shelter

A busy beaver - trying to build its damn.

We headed towards Eddie's Trail and accessed the forest once again.  This trail travels around the perimeter of a seeded field and as long as we all "stay on the trail" the farmer who owns the land keeps it open for quadders to use.  So far, so good.  Over the years, I don't think there have been too many issues.
Eddie's Trail was actually pretty good as far as water goes.  There were the usual ugly spots but trails have now been cut around most of these areas so it was pretty clear sailing through this trail.  I knew that there would be lots of "winter kill" in the deer population due to the heavy snow fall and the deer's inability to get down to the grasses below and there were a few carcasses lying along the trail.  Survival of the fittest is the only way Nature knows.
We stopped at the new Leoville Snowdrifter's winter shelter.  It was a metal container that had been hauled in and it was totally awesome.  The club had done a wonderful job on the placement and the surrounding lands.   They had a huge fire pit and wooden benches all ready to go.  There was a little wood burning stove inside the container and lots of dry stacked wood.  Hopefully, there will not be any vandalism to the structure.  I heard that the club wants to build a deck around the structure as well so that will really look nice once that is done.

Eddie's Trail (along side the seeded field)

Crossing Vimy Creek 

It was much deeper than usual as the beaver damn had
been opened by a previous couple of quadders.

We met up with the two quadders who had opened the damn
and they said that Mr. Beaver was watching them.  I imagine
he had the breach repaired by the end of the day.

After we  left the shelter, we carried on down the trail to Otter Lake.  It too was a good trail with little to no water obstructing our way.  The lake was peaceful and it was nice to sit and enjoy the quiet solitude of this end of Otter Lake.
From here we travelled up to the area of clear cut forest and eventually made our way to the North Road.
From here we accessed Vimy Tower Road and took another trail over to Vimy Trail.   John and I had not been on this side trail for several years and found it to be a nice little short cut over to Vimy Trail.  After traversing a few good water holes (all with good bottoms) we hit the main trail and headed towards Vimy Lake.  When we arrived, the creek was flowing like crazy.  It was deep but easily crossed.   We noted that the beaver damn had been breached and that is why the creek crossing was much deeper than it normally is.  The water was rushing through the breach and John and I assumed that the beaver was no longer around and obviously not maintaing his damn.  I was a little sad about that  as John and I have spent many hours camping along this little lake watching the antics of this beaver family.  One year the beaver had actually made a game out of swimming around with our big dog.  He was a lab/shepherd cross and loved to swim and the beaver would lure him out into the water and swim just far enough ahead of him to play hide and seek.  It was so funny to watch and the dog definitely got his exercise.  Another year (when we were between dogs) John and I were sitting around the campfire by the edge of the lake and both the male and the female beavers came out of the water and joined us at the edge of the water.   It was incredible so, needless to say, I was a little sad that the family had obviously moved on.
It was getting late and time to head back home so we accessed the North Road and headed towards town.  We had heard another set of quads on the trail ahead of us just before we accessed Vimy Trail and eventually passed them just before Mile 8 Trail.  They had been stopped and we carried  on.
As we were enjoying a beverage break at Mile 8, we heard the other quads coming down the road.  They passed us but soon turned around and came to join us.  Neither John nor I recognized them but after introductions found out that they lived in Leoville and were actually two of the Snowdrifters who had hauled in the container shelter in for the snowmobilers.  It was interesting to talk with them and we found out all sorts of information.  They are hoping to actually put another shelter up and are trying to decided just where to do it.
While chatting with these fellows, we mentioned that the damn was broke at Vimy and they said that they had just broke it open!!  For what ever reason.....I don't know.  They mentioned that Mr Beaver was right there when they did it so I was glad to hear that.  I imagine that he will have their carnage repaired by the end of today.  I was so happy to hear that the beavers were still alive and well at Vimy.

Sunset in town

We were soon back at home and John quickly got a fire going in the fireplace.  This was the first fire of this year and it was awesome.  Of course that meant that steak and baked potatoes were on the menu so I quickly wrapped the spuds up and John got them on the grill.  An hour later and we were dining like royalty.  What a great ending to a fantastic day in the forest.  A wonderful sunset finished off our day and then it was time to head to bed.

Vimy lake

Vimy Creek -  just down stream from the damn.  

Flowing much more quickly now that the damn was breached.

Our 1st Fire

I have another busy day plannned for tomorrow.   Gale and I are headed into North Battleford to shop so that will be a day long affair.  Gale needs company for the trip and I am always up for a day of shopping.   "The Budget" could take a hit tomorrow........again!!

Wednesday, May 22/2013

I woke early and guess what.....NO HEADACHE!!   Hallelujah!!!   Let the bells ring out and the banners fly....It is too good to be true but I'm here, I'm here!!
Today is going to be an awesome day.  I am still coughing, my throat is sore, and my nose is plugged but I feel so much better!!  YES I DO!!
I didn't have much energy yet though so, spent the day just kind of doing "nothing".  It was awesome.  I have to be getting a list of things to buy as Gale and I are heading into North Battleford to shop on Friday.
I decided to wash my nurses uniform so thought that I would try the machine in the motor home and surprisingly, it worked well.  I just need to remember that it can not handle many clothes at one time.  I then strung a makeshift clothesline between the fence posts and hung the clothes up to dry.  It was so sunny out that they were dry in no time at all.  It was awesome and they smelled so good.
I managed to get a hold of Sheldon (the local garden tiller guy) and he is going to be doing my garden later this afternoon.  Woo Hoo.   I will be able to get the garden planted this week - maybe.
Gale just text me and asked if I was up to planting her garden tomorrow.
John wants to go for a quad ride tomorrow so will have to get her garden planted in the morning.
The grass has grown alot since we arrived on Friday so John decided to jump on the mower and get it cut so that it would be done for the weekend.  When he was finished we simply relaxed in the yard enjoying the rest of the day.
Sheldon arrived to do the garden and once that was done, we headed inside to watch hockey.
All in all, it was a good day.

Tuesday, May 21/2013

I awoke six hours later with the most intense headache ever.  Now I knew for sure that I was going to die!!  I managed to get some tylenol and a cup of coffee (maybe I was missing my caffeine) and crawled back to bed.  I sat in bed, with my coffee, in the dark, crying.  Now, that really helps when you have a headache!!  Even Hogan came in and laid down beside me.... he too knew I was dying!  John went outside to start getting things done in the yard as he did not want to witness my demise - it was totally ugly.
Surprisingly, the headache eased and I was able to get out of bed and actually thought that I just may live to see another day.  Woo Hoo!!
Dave came over for a visit and I was able to go outside and be sociable.  I am sure I looked like the walking dead but I was just so happy that my headache was gone, that I didn't care what I looked like.  Dave didn't stay long (I wonder why....was it my hair?).  Oh God, I crack myself up!!
Supper was simple fair.  John was happy with soup and so was I.  Thank Heavens for Campbell's soup.
Needless to say, I was in bed early.  Tomorrow has got to be a better day.......

Monday, May 20/2013

I'm alive.  I still feel like crap but I'm alive!!  I think I am the walking dead!!  I can't be though because I have to work tonight so I had better just get into gear.
I had no energy so decided to just rest for the day and save what little energy I had for my first night shift.  I will not let this cold get the best of me.... I will not.
Well, no matter how much I wished it, the cold did indeed get the best of me. It is a good thing that my working buddy had a student for the night as the two of them actually carried me for the shift.  At one point I had such a headache that I actually went and laid down for a while.  Not a good idea as it only made things worse.  I was a wreck by the end of the shift and actually, believe it or not......phoned staffing and asked them to find a replacer for me for my next shift!!  There is no way that I could work another shift the way I felt.
Oh Dear, I think my head will blow off my shoulders before I get home to bed.  I crashed into bed, drugs on board.   Good Night (or good morning) or maybe I should say Goodbye Cruel World!!

Sunday, May 19/2013

Once again, I am off to work and certainly do not feel any better.  It will be another looong day!!  I made it through though and,  once again dragged my ass home.
John was not back from his ride yet and I was more than happy to come home to an empty bus and be able to sit and wallow in my cold, sore throat and aching back.  God, I am not sure if I am going to "make it".  Luckily, I do not have to get up in the morning as I am now scheduled for two night shifts.  It is not unusual to be scheduled for 2 days then 2 nights and normally it is not a big deal.  It is something entirely different when one is battling "death"!!
John came home about an hour later ( he had been over at Dave and Shirley's) and had all sorts of tales about his day's adventures.  It sounded like they had a good time and of course when ever Gary rides along, it is always an adventure.  Today, I guess he fell off his quad into a huge mud puddle.  It was a struggle for him but he managed to save his quad from getting water into the engine through the snorkels!!  He ended up totally soaked and was not able to save his pack of smokes!!
Needless to say, the guys had a good time but John did mention that  he was surprised at just how dry the forest actually was so, that does not sit very well for forest fires.  Hopefully we get rain off and on throughout the summer to ease that risk.
Once again, I headed to bed early taking with me the last of the cough candies, the Vicks Vaporub, the kleenex and some prayers that I would make it through the night.  No really....I was really thinking this could be the end!!  OK, maybe that is a little dramatic but I really felt awful.  Damn you John and your sharing!!  Some things are best kept to yourself!!

Saturday, May 18/2013

I am headed to work this morning and so looking forward to going.  It has been too long since I have done an honest day's work!!  Actually, I feel I work all the time but this is different.  I am still fighting this lousy cold and really should not be exposing all my little lovies in the home to this but, being the long weekend, finding a replacer would not be easy.  Plus, just how bad would it look if I phoned in sick the first days of my return to work?
I headed off and started my day.  Luckily, someone had left a bunch of Halls cough drops in the nurses station and those things got me through my first shift.  This cold and cough is not getting any better.  I am not sure if the echenecea is even helping or if it is....I must really be sick!!
I managed to make the end of the shift and all but dragged myself home.  I was in bed by 9:00 hoping that tomorrow would be better.
John had unloaded his quad and had taken it over to the car wash as the guys are going on a ride tomorrow.  That should be fun and I wonder how much water and mud are out on the trails. I guess John will find out tomorrow.

Friday, May 17/2013

I am up early, my throat is sore and I am coughing.  Thanks for sharing John!!  I have to work tomorrow and will not quit fighting this darn cold.  I am popping echinacea like crazy so hopefully that will help a bit.
I chatted with Kay this morning for a while.  She has finally started work and now travels 60 miles one way to the job site.  Not too bad I guess, if you say it quick.  She is working a four day work week so will have a long weekend every weekend which is a good thing for her.
Now, I must get my arse into gear and get this bus "road" ready.  We can't have a bunch of stuff flying around in here while we are travelling!!  That would not be cool.
We left the farm yard around noon and started our final "leg" home.  We got to Saskatoon and stopped at Jace's shop to pick up his truck.  It is now ours, or will be as soon as him and Kim come and pick up Frankenjeep.  In the mean time, "Old Blue" will sit in Leoville so that we have some wheels to drive.  We stopped at SGI for plates then left the bus parked at the shop and took the truck and camper out to Martensville where we will leave it.  It needs a Saskatchewan safety done on it in order to get it licensed.  Not only is it from out of province, it is from out of county!!
With that job done, we headed back to Saskatoon to get the bus.
The final leg of our journey "home" was upon us.  I am so excited to be finally headed home.  I can't wait to just be able to sit and run my feet through the green grass!!
I was driving "Old Blue" home and following John.  The trip was uneventful until we hit a rain storm and I found out that the windshield wipers did not work.  Great...now how in the hell am I supposed to see the road?  Jace failed to mention that the wipers didn't work!!  It was a good thing that I was close to the Shell Lake turn off as I managed to drive to the gas station at the junction to clean off the windows.  When I got out, I heard the most God Awful noise coming from under the hood and I thought that there was something terribly wrong with the motor.  Good God,  have I just wrecked the damn motor??!!  Shit, Oh Dear!!  John had turned at the corner and was no where to be seen.  Thanks Buddy!!   While standing by the truck with a rather bewildered look on my face, I noted that the noise coming from under the hood had a definite rhythm to it and thought that it sounded like the wiper motor.  It was working but not engaging the wipers.  With that thought in mind, I grabbed one of the wipers and gently "assisted" it across the window....it worked!!  Woo Hoo!!   I now had manual wipers!!  Only thing wrong with this picture was that I would have to stop the truck, get out and move the wiper by hand!!  Hmmmm.....
With the window clear of rain I headed down the road in hot pursuit of John who was now miles ahead of me hoping, that the rain would hold off until I was home.  Of course that was not to be and I had to go through another bit of a shower however, it was not so hard so the windshield actually stayed fairly clear.  I did not have to stop.
I hit Spiritwood and found John waiting on the side of the road.  From here I took the lead home and we arrived in Leoville about 5:00 p.m.  It is so good to be home.
John unhooked the trailer out in the street in front of the yard and then parked the bus.  We were both hoping that the ground would be dry and hard enough to support the bus.  Lucky for us, it was and we were soon parked and HOME!!
We were greeted by several of the neighbours and all welcomed us back.   One of the neighbours (Joann) was driving by and stopped, saying she was really glad to see us home as she was wondering if she had to work by herself tomorrow as I am scheduled to "report for duty" tomorrow.  Not to worry, we cut it short but I am ready to go!!
Eventually, Dave and Gary both wandered over and we enjoyed a beer with them.. Shirley arrived home from work and we were able to all sit around exchanging tales of our winter.
Oh, it is so good to finally be home!!

Thursday, May 16/2013

I am up early and off to the city for my 8:00 a.m. appointment with the dentist.  Once that was done, I headed over to the Breast Cancer Screening Program for my yearly mammogram.  With that done, I headed back to the farm.  I am tired and I am thinking that I am not doing well with the dodging of the "cold" bullet.  I soooo do not want to get what John has.  He is still coughing and hacking!!
We both have doctor's appointment this afternoon but I think I need to have a rest first.
We headed back into town for our appointments for 2:15 and not surprising, the times are running late.  It absolutely blows me away that there is so much double booking.  I got in an hour after my scheduled appointment!!  Not too bad I guess.  We were both out of the office by 4:15!!
We then met Bernie and Gloria at Tony Romos for drinks and supper.   We were joined by Gloria's daughters Karen and of course Kimmy to celebrate Karen's birthday.  It was fun although the atmosphere was a bit loud!!  Supper was awesome.  I chose their ribs as I had heard that they were good and I was certainly not disappointed!!
Back at the farm, John watched the final few minutes of the hockey game in the house then we both headed back to the bus.  It will be a big day again tomorrow as we are making the final trek to Leoville.  It will be about a two hour drive and then we can say we are finally HOME!!  That will be awesome.  Settled in for the summer.  No more miles to drive.  I think it is about 1700 miles in total so I am glad that tomorrow, it will be over.

Wednesday, May 15/2013

I am headed into the city to do the final shopping before we head up to Leoville.  Some items are too expensive to buy in our small town so I will stock up on some essential before we arrive.
Once I got all my shopping done, I met John's Mom and Georgie for lunch and was able to catch up on all their news.  They survived the ugly winter and they too thought that it would never end.  Now that is has, I am sure the two of them will be galavanting around the country side and I will have a heck of a time keeping track of them!!
I stopped at Jan's after lunch and chatted with her and Erin and the boys again.  It is always entertaining when the boys are around.  Caelan said to me "Look Auntie, I can pee in Mama's pond" and proceeded to do so!!   What on earth is this child being taught?!!
Erin bought herself some new wheels so I had to check it out and ooh and awe in all the appropriate spots and Ronin has named it "Beauty" because of course, it is a beauty!!
Back at the farm, John barbequed for supper and we had left over salads with our meal.   We now can finally say, the salads are pretty much done with!!  They were left over from our Mother's Day BBQ on Saturday.
It was early to bed for me as I am tired from all the running around I did in the city and John is still battling this ugly cough.  At least it is loose and he is able to get rid of much of the nastiness coming from his lungs.
Tomorrow is another busy day in the city starting at 8:00 a.m. with another trip to the dentist for a cleaning followed by the yearly necessity of a mammogram then doctor's appt in the after noon.  Man. I am so glad that we are out of here on Friday.

Tuesday, May 14/2013

Sunset on the farm

I awoke in the middle of the night to thunder and lightening.  Hogan was bugged about it as well and left his favourite chair to come and sleep beside our bed.  He was not impressed with the whole weather thing!!  It was nice to hear the soft rain on the roof of the bus and I had forgot just how loud the thunder can be, especially at 3:00 o'clock in the morning!!
When I finally got up, the sun was shining and there was not one rain cloud in the sky.  I think it will be a very nice day today.
We spent the day relaxing although John is fighting a nasty cold and is coughing and hacking like crazy.  I am taking all the appropriate preventative measures, as I do not want to get what he has.  Working on the weekend is advancing and I do not want to be ill for my first days back at work.  Phoning in "sick" is not an option after the winter the girls in Leoville had so hopefully I will dodge this bullet.  The girl at the home deserve to have a wonderful summer and with me working relief, I hope they get to have some awesome time off.  I am ready to get back into the swing of things at the the nursing home.
There was an awesome sunset tonight and I managed to get a few good pics so hopefully they make it to the blog.

Monday, May 13/2013

Oh Dear, I think I have been hit by a truck this morning.  Man, the old grey mare is definitely NOT what she used to be this morning!!  My first stop out of bed was at the tylenol bottle!!
John and I are supposed to be driving Jace out to the farm today so it will be a "physically" a quiet day so I think I can handle that!!   If I had to do anything too strenuous, well, that just wasn't going to be happening today!!
Jace arrived about noon and we were soon on our way.  We have at least a two hour drive ahead of us and that would be one way!!
When we arrived at the farm, Jace took us out to the field to show us the fancy huge tractor with the tracks and the 75 feet of air seeder and fertilizer rig it pulls.  It was huge and Bryce was kind enough to let John join him in the tractor to show him how all that fancy stuff works,  John was impressed and marvelled at how far technology had come since he was farming.
Jace then drove us to the farm yard and I was able to check out the house and the yard.  What a cute little house.  John of course was more interested in all the fancy new granaries and what not.  We also got to meet Papa Larry (Bryce's Dad).  He was on his way out to another field with another tractor with tracks (I guess they own two of these huge beasts) and a huge expanse of harrows.  There was lots of activity around the farm and seeding is underway.
We left Jace and headed back to Saskatoon where we arrived in time to watch the hockey game!!
It was so beautiful that we sat out on the deck enjoying the sunshine until it was time for supper.  Gloria made lasagna and it was totally awesome.  I managed to throw in a couple loads of laundry today as well.  One before we left to take Jace to the farm and one after getting back.
With supper over, both John and I headed back to the bus.  We are both tired and he is still fighting this cold.  Kimmy headed back to town as she was tired too.  It wasn't too long before all the lights were out in the house.   It was an early evening for all of us.

Sunday, May 12/2013

Jace and Kimmy arrived her at the farm early.  Jace had loaded the quads onto the trailer last evening so it was just a matter of hooking up and heading out.
We arrived at the trails, unloaded and had a total of nine quads on today's ride.  It should be an interesting ride.  Hopefully, there is not too much in the way of water and mud.
I was surprised at how little snow remained, even in the trees.  The trails we rode today were actually quite dusty and I was forced at one point to actually put on my goggles.
We had to turn around on one of the trails as we were blocked by large quantities of water so had to take a detour.
We crossed one beaver damn that was easily traversed along the side but for the more adventurous souls, it could be crossed through the middle in the much deeper water.  Several of the guys chose the middle.  I actually was able to get some good pics of that!!
The weather was fully cooperative and many of us commented on how beautiful it was.  It was a perfect day for quadding.
When we took Elk Trail (the one that eventually spits us out onto the Steep Creek Trail) we encountered more water and mud.  The guys enjoyed playing in it and again, when we hit the trail above the river, we encountered more mud and water.
Jace was the only brave one to go down the trail to the river and ended up having to be winched back up.  This trail had eroded to such an extent that huge furrows had formed making the quad high centered.  I am afraid that the trail to the river may have just  been reclaimed by mother nature.
On the way to "the lookout" along the steep creek trail, the winches were needed for a few that chose not to go around the mud holes.  The guys seemed to have fun though.
Once at the lookout, which displays a panoramic view of the river and its far bank, a bonfire was started and those wishing to, cooked hot dogs.  This was our turnaround point.  It was time to head back to the trucks.
When we went to leave, one of the quads had totally blown its belt apart and now needed to be towed home.  This fellow had just had some work done to his machine by the dealership and it looked as if they may have failed to tighten all of the bolts and "whatevers" causing the belt to have issues.  It was a good thing that we were almost at the end of the "trail" for the return home could be made on much wider roads.  Ones that would easily accommodate a rescue vehicle without scratching the hell out of it.
Being that I had not been on my own quad for several years, I was most definitely feeling the effects of it.  Fortunately, Miss Maddy had joined us for today's ride and was able to take over on my quad.  I got into the side by side with Chris for the ride home.  Maddy is a very experienced rider (she rides better than me!!) so I had no trouble relinquishing the reins to her.

Getting unloaded

John's new MXR

Beverage

Another shot of John's MXR

Lots of water

Waiting for the boys to come through. Videos on Johns Facebook

Kimmy and Jace

Crocuses

John

Maddy

Chris at the overlook

Maddy and Jeff

Weaner roast

Going down to steep creek

The trail home

Another great day

Once we got to the wider trails, Jeff (who was towing the broken quad) decided to leave it on the trail and continue on without it to get his truck and trailer, then make the trip back to pick it up.  The owner decide to stay with the quad.  He had smokes and his vodka so was "good to go"!!
The rest of us carried on and at one point, the lead quads saw a Mom black bear and two cubs with her.  Chris and I were dragging trail so we did not get to see them.  The other side by side was having trouble with overheating so Chris and I decide to bring up the rear, that way, no one was left alone on the trail with "issues".  Well, except for the guy with the belt issue ( but he had his smokes and vodka!!).
We made it back to the truck in about an hour and Jeff then got into his truck and headed back to pick up the stranded quad.  Everyone then loaded up and headed for Saskatoon with the exception of us.  Jace told Jeff he would wait for him as this was the first trip out to these trails and he was unsure of the directions.  It took Jeff about and hour to get to the quad and when he finally did arrive, he found the owner passed out drunk and not much of a help in loading the disabled machine.  Needless to say, he was a little upset by this.  I am thinking that Jeff is not likely to invite this guy back out to the trails anytime soon!!
Eventually, we saw Jeff's headlights coming (it was now pitch black out).  Jace and him had a short chat and then we both headed back to Saskatoon.
It was way after midnight (probably closer to 1) by the time we arrived back at the farm and we were all very tired.  It had been a good day but, a very long day!!
Jace unhooked the trailer then him and Kimmy headed right back to the city.  Kimmy had to work in the morning - that sucks!!
I made John and I a grilled cheese sandwich then, we both crashed into the bed.  OH, Sweet Jesus, it was good to finally lay down.......Goodnight.......Zzzzzzzzz

Saturday, May 11/2013

Well, the wind seems to have died down a bit and that is a good thing.  Two days of blow is plenty!!
The sun is shining and although it is, the temperature remains chilly.  Tomorrow, it is supposed to be 30C (86F).  Only here can it be 6C (43F) one day and 30C the next.  Crazy and I am not sure if I believe the weatherman on that one!!
There is a BBQ planned for tonight's supper and it sounds like Kimmy's sister is coming as well as Jace and Kimmy.  It is an early Mother's Day thing as there is quadding planned for Sunday so Karen decided to have it today.  I have to make a couple of salads for tonight so have decided to do an oriental salad and a cauliflower and broccoli salad.  Both are pretty easy to throw together.
Gloria's Sunset party is this afternoon and unfortunately I will have to miss it as the pick up time for the new quad conflicts with it.  Oh well, maybe there will be a few leftovers for me to sample!!
We headed into Saskatoon to pick up the quad then stopped by Jace's shop to pick up his Rhino.  It will be going back to the farm to sit for the summer.  It requires a new axle then I think once that is done, it will be up for sale.
Jace was surprised to see the new quad but not really.  He knew that John was wanting one so no surprise that he ended up getting one.
Chris came by while we were at the shop with a different truck.  He had just bought it from a guy in Alberta.  He needed something that would tow his new toy hauler trailer so now he is all set to go for the summer.
We also saw Cody at the shop.  He was wearing the brightest lime green runners I had ever seen.  Of course they looked absolutely "at home" on him.  He was "styling"!!
Once back at the farm, it was time to sit and relax and get ready for the big Mother's Day BBQ.  Karen arrived with all the deserts , I got the last of the two salads I was bringing made and Gloria was busy tossing together her pasta salad and the potato salad.  There is definitely not going to be a shortage of food.
Don (Gloria's brother) and Riley arrived, then Casey and Cameron.  We had a full deck!!
John cooked the burgers and smokies and then it was time to chow down.  What an awesome meal and the desserts were amazing.
I went to bed a full, happy camper.  We are planning on quadding tomorrow for Mother's Day so I need my rest.

Friday, May 10/2013

Once again, my eyes have popped open very early this morning.  I guess my body is preparing me for the early morning alarm when I have to be at work for 7:00 a.m.
It was windy all day yesterday and throughout the night and I see that it is still blowing this morning although I don't think it is quite as bad.  The only good thing about this is that it is drying the land so hopefully the farmers will be able to get their seeding done a bit sooner.  We can only hope.
There is still lots of flooding in the province and more to come as there is still lots of ice that needs to melt.
I headed back into the city today for my dentist appointment.  Once that was done, I headed over to the income tax man and got all that nonsense done so now I can scratch that off my list.    I stopped at the grocery store, the liquor store (cause after I found out how much I owed of my tax return, I needed a drink) the gas station and then finally,  headed back to the farm.
When I arrived at the farm  Larry was there visiting with John.  They had a good winter in Arizona and are thinking about heading into Texas for the next winter season.  They have friends and relatives there I think so, that just may be fun for them as well and they will see even more county.
When Larry left, John and I headed back into the city to check out a new quad.  John has been busy getting quotes and comparing prices so now it is crunch time.  I think he wants a new one for Sunday's ride.  Gee....lets not leave everything till the last minute!!  LOL.
As it turns out, there was one sitting on the showroom floor and we are picking it up tomorrow afternoon!!   Wow, that was quick.  I felt like the woman on that TV commercial who goes into the butcher shop and orders that car hanging on the hook!!
By the time we arrived home, it was happy hour.  It is good that I stopped at the liquor store!!
Gloria's parents had arrived late last night so we were able to chat with them for a while as well as her sister Debbie who arrived today.  It was fun sitting around the kitchen table with the girls while the guys sat in the living room watching hockey.
Gloria, once again, cooked an awesome supper and we all enjoyed it except Bernie who had to leave and head over to the Saskatoon International Raceway where he was announcing tonight's event.  We did save him a plate of food for when he got back to the house.
Gloria and Deb then had to run into Saskatoon to get some stuff for Gloria's first Sunset Gourmet party tomorrow so John and I headed back to the bus.
It has been a rather busy day for me and I am ready to sit, relax and read some of my book.  Hogan keeps looking at me so I know he is ready for his evening cuddles.
All in all, another good day.

Thursday, May 9/201

It is chilly in the bus this morning.  I wonder who forgot to leave the heater on?  John woke me up with his stupid coughing this morning.  I think he is trying to get a cold but, I have started the echinacea on him so hopefully that will kick in and help.
Today, I am headed into Saskatoon to get my eye examination.  It is time and my current lens are so scratched that I have become an expert in looking around and through the scratches!!
$870.00 later, I have my new specks on order.  Hopefully, they arrive before I have to head home.  I work on the 18th so John and I must leave no later than the 17th.  I hate cutting things so close.  If they aren't ready, then I will have to make another trip back to Saskatoon to get them.  With the trifocal (progressive lens) in them, I can not really have them adjusted before hand as the three fields of vision have to be sitting "just right"!!
After the eye appointment, I headed over to my sister's for a much needed, long awaited visit.  It was so good the see her again.  Not being able to sit and visit with her is one of the hardest thing about heading down to Arizona for the winter.  I miss our "around the table" conversations and somehow the long distance phone calls just don't cut it.
Erin (my niece) was on one of her days off so I was lucky enough to visit with her as well.  Erin's boys Ronin and Caelan have sure grown and I did make the mistake of calling Caelan by his name.  He quickly informed me that he was Captain America!!  How was I to know that one of my great nephews was a super hero!!
I spent the rest of the afternoon at Jan's and enjoyed their company immensely.  All too soon, it was time to head back to the farm.  Kimmy is coming out for supper and I was responsible for salad and dessert.
Back at the farm, supper was smelling awesome and of course the hockey game was on.  John and Bernie bantered back and forth over their teams but it was Bernie who ended up the "sad panda" as his Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs.
Kimmy, Gloria and I sat around the kitchen table "girl" talking!!
Supper was totally awesome (as usual) and then once the dishes were done, Kimmy headed back to the city and John and I headed to the bus.
Gloria's parents are coming in tonight from Yorkton via the bus and Bernie has been elected to go and pick them up.  They will be staying for the Mother's Day weekend and perhaps longer.  Gloria  was not too sure how long they were planning on staying.  It is quite convenient though, as Gloria now works from home so, she can visit at her leisure.
All in all, it has been another good day.   Tomorrow, it is back to the dentist for me.  Gosh, I will be glad when all this darn running around is over with!!

Wednesday, May 8/2013

Once again, I am up early.  It was chilly last night when John and I got back to the bus so John turned on our propane heater and actually left it on low all night.  It was warm in the bus this morning but I swear I can see frost on the grass.   I hope it is just my eyes playing tricks on me as I do not believe it was "that" chilly last night.
I have nothing planned for today.  It is time to tidy up the bus and get things looking pretty once again.  With all the dust that was blowing around yesterday, dusting is definitely on the agenda!!
Tonight I think we are heading over to Dundurn to enjoy some of the best Chinese food in the province.  Kimmy said she was going to drive out and come with us so that should be fun.
I threw in a load of laundry today and basically wiled away the day.  I read a lot, cleaned up the bus a bit then we waited for Gloria and Bernie to arrive back at the farm so that we could sit and enjoy a beer before going for supper.
Kimmy arrived and we soon headed to Dundurn.  The food was delicious and we all pigged out!!
It was over to the Dundurn Bar for an after dinner drink and then we headed back to the farm where John and Bernie caught the last of the hockey game.
It was yet another.......good day.
Tomorrow, I am headed back into Saskatoon to get my eyes checked and order new glasses and to stop and see Jan and her family.  Woo Hoo!!  Should be another good day tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 7/2013

I am headed into the city today to do some running.  I have to deal with the phone and make a few more stops in my travels today.
It is windy outside today and the dust is blowing like crazy.  It is a good thing John and I are not planning on travelling North as the wind would make that just a bit more uglier.
I finally made it back to the farm and now have a "loaner" phone with me.   No one at the SaskTel office had any idea as to what was wrong with my phone.  It will be sent in for repairs and if it is not fixable, then I will get a new one.  Thank Heavens for warranty!!
Casey phoned us asking if his Dad could bring Kimmy's car trailer into the city and help him get his truck out of impound.  He was involved in as accident a week or so ago and now his truck needed to be   brought out to the farm.
We headed into town, got the truck and returned to the farm.  Although the truck was still "drivable" (it managed to make it up and off the trailer) it is what I would consider "totalled".  It is such a good thing that he owes no money on it as he will have enough expenses hanging over his head after this bit on nonsense!!
It was happy hour when we arrived back at the farm so that was a darn good thing.  After seeing the massive destruction on Casey's truck, I needed a drink.....or two!!
Gloria had supper going and while I was in town I picked up fixings for salad and dessert.  Before too long, supper was ready and we were eating in the living room as the hockey game was on.  John was cheering for the opposite team as Bernie so the room was filled with constant banter between the two of them.  Thank Heavens the dishes needed to be done as Gloria and I did manage to get a break from it!!
Eventually, it was time to call it an evening and John and I headed back to the bus where he watched even more hockey and I crawled into bed with Hogan and my book.
All in all, it was a good day although seeing the damage on Casey's truck was rather disturbing.  Once again, I thank the Lord for watching over him and only hope that this is yet another lesson from which Casey can learn from.  I am not sure how many more lives this cat has!!  Oh Ya, I have a dozen more grey hair!!  Thanks Caseman!!

Whats left of Casey's truck